Automatic telephone ejector



Jam. 17, .1950 F. G. HOLMES 2,495,006

AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE EJECTOR Filed oct. 21, 1948 2 Shee'tsshee t 1 217gl I INVENToR. -5 FRANK G. HOLMES 'Y BY Jem, il?, 39@

Filed OCb. 21, 1948 F. G, HOLMES AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE EJECTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

FRANK G. HOLMES Patented Jan. 17, 95

- UN [TED lSTATE. S PATENT OFFICE AUTOMATIC TELEPHGN-E EJECTO Frank G. Holmes, Philadelphia, Pa. Application G'ctober 2l, 1948, SeriaLNo. 55,799

This invention relates to new and useful improvements inA devices-.for facilitating. use of the. telephone, and, more particularly, the aim. is to. provide a novel and valuable dev-ice whereby a telephone instrument may be normally stored in a location removed from the working top of a desk,`table or the like, yet in such manner that whenever the telephone is desired tobe used, as toY answer an incoming call, a manually` operable meansmay be actuated thereby to cause the telephone instrument toA be shifted to a location at` which not only may the dial be used to make a call but the receiver may be placed in hearing position and the transmitter in talking position.

A `feature of the invention is that, consequent upon actuation of said manually operable means, for shifting of the telephone instrument as above, the receiver, as, for instance, the receiver which. in the so-called French telephone instrument is part Aof a single liftable structure including, also the transmittenbecomes. automatically elevated' out of its telephone-line.closing position inthe instrumentsy cradle.

A further featureA of the invention. is thatV said receiver is attached to a hingedly mounted bare like support, which support4 mayV carry simpleyet. practicable means.Y for readily varying the anchorage of the structure-including the receiver and the transmitter on the support, to adapt saidstructure, when the support is elevated, to posi,- tion the receiver efficiently `relativel to the ear of the person at the telephoneY and at the same time efficiently to place the transmitter relative to the mouth of said person; with the resultA that then both handsare free, for referring to records and the like and also to permit one handto, write down any memoranda. to'v be recorded. and. further to permit easy dialing of a desired number when said person wishesto make av telephone call.

Also, accordingy to the. invention as preferably carried out, -the telephone instrument is secured to and on top of' a suitable guided slide plate, and said bar-like support is connectedto said plate by a spring hinge, with the partsv soV arranged and coacting that when the telephone is to be with. drawn for use, all that is. necessary is` toe slide outf said plate, and when a telephone use isA com-- pleted, all thatl isnecessary is to slide i-n said plate. Due to the coaction between the said bar. like support,rand the telephone instrument, the4 latter has its aforesaid switch opened incidentalto sliding out of saidplate andhas. its: said switch closed-incidental' to= sliding in of said` plate..

Forv further *comprehensionl of the invention, 55

10v Claims. (Cl. 179-146) and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the. invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings. forming a material part. of this disclosure:

Fig.. 1,. a horizontal section taken on the line L-I of Fig. 2, and partially broken away, shows intop plan an embodiment of the invention, as now. favored, with the slide retracted, that is, in its normally stored location; the telephone. in.- strument illustrated. being a, late model of theV sci-called' French instrument.

Fig. 2. is a partially broken away vertical section, taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a very much enlarged. fragmentary side elevational View of the outer end of said bar-like` support;l with the latter viewed as in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 isa similarly enlarged bottom plan View of the outer end of said support.

.Figi 5 is a detail view showing a cupping bracket, detached.

Fig. 6 is a section: taken on the line 6-6 of. Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawings more in detail, in Figs. 1 and 2 a desk top. at its portion above a knee space is indicated at l5; and in the present` casethe device of the inventionis shown, but only by way of example, as housed in a compartment IE- below the desk top l5, which compartment may` be, for instance, the one provid'ed for carrying a pull-out desk drawer, with such drawer omitted.

The already mentioned slide plate is designated il. This is shown as guidingly engaged along its opposite sides in a pair of channel members I8.' suitably secured to any desired support, as to the side walls I9 of the compartment I6. Said plate is shown as rectangular and somewhat elongate, and any suitable means may be provided for engaging theA same for limitingY its movement in the direction of retraction, as, for instance, the back wall 20 of the compartment l5.

At. the inner end of the slide plate l1 there. is suitably secured thereto, to vertically upstand; therefrom, a transverse wall 2li. Ther telephoneA instrument. 22 is suitably securedv to the top. of the plate I1, as by a plurality of Z-clips 23;; the familiar line-closing; switch buttons ofthe instrument 22% beingl indicated in Fig. 1 at 24.

Inthe French typetelephone. instrument illustrated, the single hereinabove mentioned liftablefstructure is marked. asa whole. 25,.; and this 3 as best shown in Figs. 3 and 4, includes a receiver portion 26, a transmitter portion 21, and a bridge 28. The bridge 28, as is well known, is so arranged as properly to space apart the receiver portion 26 and the transmitter portion 21, so that while the former is in position to be spoken into the latter is in position for efficient placement adjacent to an ear of a person at the telephone, and, also, is so shaped and extended that when the structure 25 is placed in the cradle 29 of the instrument 22 the weight of the structure acts by way of the bridge 28 to depress the switch-buttons 24 thereby to hold the telephone line closed.

In accordance with the now preferred way of carrying out the present invention, however, such closing of said switch is effected by an end portion of the already mentioned bar-like support, this designated 30. For brevity, the ordinarily manually lifted structure 25 will from now on be called the receiver.

Said support 38, which may be made of any suitable length, and which may if desired be made telescopic for at will modifying its length, is here shown as of one-piece construction. The support 30, at its inner end, is connected to the top of the wall 2| on the slide plate |1, by means of a hinge 3|, incorporating a spring, such as indicated at 32, to provide a spring-hinge, or said hinge may be one of the non-spring type but acted on by a suitable spring means; the arrangement being such that there is a resilient force acting on the support at all times and in such manner as to urge the support toward swing in the direction of the arrow 30' of Fig. 2. The axis or pintle of such hinge connection is so positioned, relative to the top of the telephone instrument 22, that when the support 38 is extended as in Fig. 1 and as shown in full lines in Fig. 2, the underside of the support 30 is forced to bear down on the switch-buttons'24 and so hold the telephone line closed.

The receiver 25 is variously adjustably secured to the support 30 by means illustratively herein shown as including a cupping bracket as a whole marked 33, this having an attaching plate portion 34 carrying a half cup 35 provided with a top flange 36. The saidv plate portion has a pair of apertures 31, through which' screws 38 may be sent for being entered into the support 30 for securing the bracket 33 thereto. The half cup 35 is so shaped and placed on the plate portion 34 that when the receiver portion 26 of the receiver 25 is caught therein, the receiver` 25 may be extended generally as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, thereby to tilt the receiver portion 26 slightly toward the ear of a person at the telephone and at the same time to somewhat tilt the transmitter portion21 toward that persons mouth, when, as will later` be explained, the support 30 assumes the vertical position indicated in dot and dash lines in Fig. 2.

For thus generally extending the receiver25, but nevertheless to allow of considerable variation in the placement of the receiver 25 relative to the support 30, to satisfy individual preferences, the means for securing the receiver 25 to the support 30 is herein shown as including, in addition to and supplementary of, the cupping bracket 33, the further parts now to be described.

A swing-tment 39 includes a fork portion 40 compoundly obliquely offset from an integral base-plate 4| suitably apertured for receiving the shank of a thumb-screw 42 served by a washer 43. Said screw 42 coacts with a tapped hole 4 44 through a slide-tment 45 provided with a slot 46 through which passes the shank of a thumbscrew 41 served by a Washerll. This screw 41 coacts with a tapped hole 49 provided on the support 3l).

It will be noted that with the receiver portion 26 of the receiver 25 caught in the cupping bracket 33, and with the bridge 28 of the receiver 25' partially embraced by the fork portion 40 of the swing-tment 39 and resiliently urged toward full reception in su-ch fork by a. cruciform leaf-spring 5| attached at the ends of its lesser arms 53 by screws 54 to the outer ends of the fork portion 40,; either or both of the ftments ,39 and 45 may be selectively adjusted, the former angularly and the latter rectilinearly along the Y length of the slot-46, for positioning the receiver 25 exactly as desired. With the major arms 52 of the spring 5| laterally arched as indicated best in Figs. 3 and 4, all the parts now being described may act together to maintain the receiver 25 exactly inthe desired position on the support 30.

The usual exible wiring to the instrument 22, and from the latter to the receiver 25, is not shown, to avoid unnecessarily adding to the drawings, but, as will be understood, the wiring to the instrument 22 is strung with sufiicient slack vand suitably guided to allow unimpeded shifting of the instrument back and forth between its full-line and its dot-and-dash-line positions in Fig. 2, and the wiring between the instrument 22 and the receiver 25 is arranged to remain in proper extension along the support 30.

The support 30 at its outer end is forked as shown, and there a U-strap 55 may be provided and secured in place asby a pair of screws 56 and a rivet 51 for pivotally mounting a roller 58 in such fork. Then also, the bight portion ofv the strap 55 is projected somewhat beyond the outer end of the support 30, for use as a handle.

When the telephone is wanted for use, as when the ringing of its bell announces an incoming call, but one operation is necessary, that is, a pull on the support 30, applied at its outer end, as by Way of the handle 59, to advance the slide plate to the location indicated in dot and dash lines at |1a in Fig. 2. As soon as vthe roller 58 passes beyond the front edge of the desk top l5, the spring means at the hinge 3| comes into action, and the support 3|)A begins to swing upward in the direction of the arrow 30'; With the result that when the instrument 22 arrives at the position indicated in dot and dash linesrat 22a in Fig. 2, the support 30 stands vertically upright as indicated in dot and dash lines at 3Ua in Fig. 2.

Observe, also, that now the dialing mechanism of the instrument 22 is readily accessible by the person seated at the desk; so that should the withdrawal of the slide plate |1 and the instrument 22 have been made to make a call, the desired number may be immediately dialed.

When the telephone |conversation is nished, thrusting in of slide plate |1 all the way, until its inner end abuts the wall 20 or any other equivalent stop means provided, results in restoration of al1 the parts to the positions shown in Fig. 1 and in full lines in Fig. 2, including a closing of the telephone line by pressure of the support 30 against the switch-buttons 3-4 as already explained. v

The handle 59 may be a convenience in certain installations, but is not necessary in any installation like thatshown Ain Fig. 2, where withdrawal anemona' of the slide -plate Il may be effected #by ipulling on `its -outer Iend 'and Vretraction thereof Vmay Ibe effected vby thrusting fon `said end.

While I have illustrated and described 'the preferred embodiment 'of -my invention, -it is to be understood 'that TI do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein Idisclosed and the right is reserved `to allchanges-and modifications coming lwithin -the scope #off the invention as defined in the appendedeclaims Having thus described vrny linvention, what fI claim las new, and desire to secure "by 'United States Letters'Patentis:

ll. Adevice -for facilitating'usefo r`the telephone, comprising a slide-type 'carrier 'for the telephone instrument, lmeans Vfor mounting the instrument immovably on `the vcarrier, -a structure adapted to be secured -to van Jarticle fof `f-urniture such as -a desk, tableor the like and 'at a location bel'ow the top of lsaid furnitureartile, `means parti-ally'carried by said structure and partially carried Yby the carrier for guiding the latterito perform backand forth Amovements between -a retracted and a protruded position thereof, a bar-like support hingedly mounted on said carrier along -a substantiall-y 'horizontal axis arranged transverse yto the direction of back and forth 'movement of the carrier, said aXis being between v:the yinstrument and the inner end of :the carrierand said support eing Vforwardlyextended -forcrossing the switchbuttonmeans on the instrument at its vportion for cradlingV its Eliftalole receiver, `means for securing the receiver on said -support -a't a point `:located outwardly from the instrument, anda telephonedisabling .means for `"causing swingo'f .the support downward on its yhinge mounting thereby ltocause the support -to press down-on said switch-button means to closethe'telephoneline.

12. Adevice for facilitating vuse fof the telephone,

. comprising a slide-type carrier for the'telephone instrument, 'means 'for mounting -the instrument immovably -on the carrier, la structure adapted to be secured to anartiole of ffurniture such as a desk, table or fthe like and "at a location below the tcp-of said furniture article, means partially carriedlcy said structure and partially carried 'by the carrier for guiding the latter'to perform back and forth movements between aretracted and a protruded position thereof, a bar-like support hingedly mounted on said carrier 4along a fsubstantially Yhorizontal axis arranged transverse 'to the direction of back and yforthmovement of the carrier, said axis being l:between the linstrument and the inner-endof 1thecarrier-and said support beingt forwardly' extended `for crossing 'the switchbutton means on `the instrument at its portion for -cradling its liftalo'le receiver, means for securing the receiver on said support at la point located outwardly from ythe linstrument, and a telephone-disabling .means vfor Vcausing swing of the support downward :on its A"'hinge mounting thereby to cause the 'support -to press down on said switch-button Ameans -to close the Itelephone line, said Vsupport being swingable to .an upright position when the :carrier l'isiin .protruded position, and there being means oo'actingwith Asaid'hinge means for .limiting lupward :swing .of -the `support to said upright position.

i3. vi device 'forfacilitatinguse-ofthe telephone, comprising aLslide-type carrier for the telephone instrument, means fior mounting lthe -instrument immovablyon the carrier, ya `structure adapted to be :secured .to an l'article nf furniture such las a desk, table or .the like and=at a location rbelow the top of saidfurriiturearticle, means-partially and forth .movements Vjbetween 4:a 'retracted .and :a protruded position thereof, Aa har-"like .support hingedly mounted on :said `carrier :along .a suic-v stantially horizontal :axis arranged transverse fto the direction .of back V`and rorlth movement for `the carrier, said vaxis being between the instrument and Zthe inner end of .the :carrier and :said :support b'eing forwardly extended for crossing ithe switch-button .means :on the instrument :at its portion for -cradling its liftable receiver, means for ysecuring the :receiver lon said .support :at a point locatedoutwardly from the instrument, and a telephone-disabling means `for causing swing .of the support downward fon .its :hinge mounting thereby to cause the supportltozpress down :onsa'id switch-button `means to :close A:the telephone iline, said support Lbeing swingable 'to .an A1J..pright'position when the .carrier is Jin .protruded position, and there being means vcoacting lvvitnsaid :hinge means for limiting .upward Vswing 'of lthe fsupport to said upright position., there further =beingf yielding means for thusswinging upward fthe support iwhen the Acarrier -is 'in .protruded position.

4. iAdevi'ce 'for facilitating use :of Lt'he telephone, comprising a slide-type carrierrror'the -telephone instrument, means for mounting the instrument immovably on the carrier, a structure adapted to be secured lto an `article :of .furniture `:such ias a desk, Ytable or the like and v-at :a location lbe'low the top of said'furniture article, means ipartially carried'by said structureand partially carriedlcy the carrier forfguiding the latter to perform iback and forth movements between va r:retracted .and in protruded position thereof, :a Ybar-like 'support hingedly mounted on Asaid carrier ia-long .a `substantially horizontal axis arranged transverse 'fte the direction of back and forth movementbfthe carrier, 'said axis being between the instrument and Ithe inner end of thecarrier landsa'id 'support being forwardly extendedor crossing theswitch button vmeans on .the .instrument -at its portion for cradling .its liftable receiver, vmeans for Vsecuring the receiver on .said support .at la point located outwardly from .the '.instnum'ent, fand :a telephone-disabling means jfor causing :swing .of the :support downward .on its :hinge mounting thereby to -cause lthe support itc press clown on said `switch-button means 'to .close the telephone line, said support .being -swingable to -an upright position when the carrier is in protruded position, and there being means :coasting with-said hinge means for limiting v'upward swing of the support `to .said .upright position, Athere l'fur-ther being yielding means @for thus swinging .upward theisufpport when thecarrier is in protruded position, the instrument lbeing -soiplaced =on the carrier thatl 'when the latter is .in Lpro'truded position the dialing mechanism of the Vinstrument I'is located .beyond the iront -of `said furniture A article top and facing toward .a person Aseated at Asaid furniture article.

5. A device forfacilitatinguseof-the telephone' comprising a slide-type-carrier *for `the telephone instrument, means for mounting the linstrument immovably on the carrier, astructureadap'ted to be secured to an article of furniture such "as VYa desk, table or the'likeand atl a location below the top of said furniturearticle, means Apartially carriedby. saidstructure and-partially'carried zloy the carrier for guiding the latter -to perform :back and forth movements fbetweena retracted andapro- A truded position thereof, a Vbar-like support hingedly mounted fon ksaid ycarrier along `a lsub-- stantially horizontal axis arranged transverse to the direction of back and forth movement of the carrier, said axis being between the instrument and the inner end of the carrier and said support being forwardly extended for crossing the switchbutton means on the instrument at its portion for cradling its liftable receiver, means for securing the receiver on said support at a point located outwardly from the instrument, and a telephone-disabling means for causing swing of the support downward on its hinge mounting thereby to cause the support to press down on said switch-button means to close the telephone line, said support being swingable to an upright position when the carrier is in protruded position, and there being means coacting with said hinge means for limiting upward swing of the support to said upright position, there further being yielding means for thus swinging upward the support when the carrier is in protruded position, the instrument being so placed on the carrier that when the latter is in protruded position the dialing mechanism of the instrument is located beyond the front of said furniture article top and facing toward a person seated at said furniture article, said telephone-disabling means including a roller at the outer end of said support and a xed wall above the carrier for being engaged by the roller.

6. A device for facilitating use of the telephone, comprisinga slide-type carrier for the telephone instrument, means for mounting the instrument immovably on the carrier, a structure adapted to be secured to an article of furniture such as a desk, table or the like and at a location below the top of said furniture article, means partially carried by said structure and partially carried by the carrier for guiding the latter to perform back and forth movements between a retracted and a protruded position thereof, a bar-like support hingedly mounted on said carrier along a substantially horizontal axis arranged transverse to the direction of back and forth movement of the carrier, said axis being between the instrument and the inner end of the carrier and said support being forwardly extended for crossing the switchbutton means on the instrument at its portion for cradling its lifta-ble receiver, means for securing the receiver on said support at a point located outwardly from the instrument, and a telephonedisabling means for causing swing of the support downward on its hinge mounting thereby to cause the support to press down on said switch-button means to close the telephone line, said support being swingable to an upright position when the carrier is in protruded position, and there being means coacting with said hinge means for limiting upward swing of the support to said upright position, there further being yielding means for thus swinging upward the support when the carrier is in protruded position, the instrument being so placed on the carrier that when the latter is in protruded position the dialing mechanism of the instrument is located beyond the front of said furniture article top and facing toward a person seated at said furniture article, said telephonedisabling means including a roller at the outer' end of said support and a fixed wall above the carrier for being engaged by the roller, said wall being the top of said furniture article.

7. A device for facilitating use of the telephone, comprising a slide-type carrier for the telephone instrument, means for mounting the instrument immovably on the carrier, a structure adapted tov be secured to an varticle of v furniture such as a desk, table or the like and at a location below the top of said furniture article, means partially carried by said structure and partially carried by the carrier for guiding the latter to perform back and forth movements between a retracted and a protruded position thereof, a bar-like support hingedly mounted on said carrier along a substantially horizontal axis arranged transverse to the direction of back and forth movement of the carrier, said axis being between the instrument and the inner end of the carrier and said support being forwardly extended for crossing the switchbutton means on the instrument at its portion for cradling its liftable receiver, means for securing the receiver on said support at a point located outwardly from the instrument, and a telephonedisabling means for causing swing of the support downward on its hinge mounting thereby to cause the support to press down on said switch-button means to close the telephone line, said support being swingable to an upright position when the carrier is in protruded position, and there being means coacting with said hinge means for limiting upward swing of the support to said upright position, there further being yielding means for thus swinging upward the support when the carrier is in protruded position, the instrument being so placed on the carrier that when the latter is in protruded position the dialing mechanism of the instrument is located beyond the front of said furniture article top and facing toward a person seated at said furniture article, said means for securing the receiver to the support including a plurality of receiver engaging members, one of which is angularly adjustable on the support.

8. A device for facilitating use of the telephone, comprising a slide-type carrier for the telephone instrument, means for mounting the instrument immovably on the carrier, a structure adapted to be secured to an article of furniture such as a desk, table or the like and at a location below the top of said furniture article, means partially carried by said structure and partially carried by the carrier for guiding the latter to perform back and forth movements between a retracted and a protruded position thereof, a bar-like support hingedly mounted on said carrier along a substantially horizontal axis arranged transverse to the direction of back and forth movement of the carrier, said axis being between the instrument and the inner end of the carrier and said support being forwardly extended for crossing the switchbutton means on the instrument at its portion for cradling its liftable receiver, means for securing the receiver on said support at a point located outwardly from the instrument, and a telephonedisabling means for causing swing of the support downward on its hinge mounting thereby to cause the support to press down on said switchbutton means to close the telephone line, said support being swingable to an upright position when the carrier is in protruded position, and there being means coacting with said hinge means for limiting upward swing of the support to said upright position, there further being yielding means for thus swinging upward the support when the carrier is in protruded position, the instrument being so placed on the carrier that when the latter is in protruded position the dialing mechanism of the instrument is located beyond the front of said furniture article top and facing toward a person seated at said furniture article, said means for securing the receiver to the support including a plurality of receiver engaging members, one of which is angularly adjustable on the support, and another of which is slidably adjustable on the support.

9. A device for facilitating use of the telephone, comprising a slide-type carrier for the telephone instrument, means for mounting the instrument immovably on the carrier, a structure adapted to be secured to an article of furniture such as a desk, table or the like and at a location below the top of said furniture article, means partially carried by said structure and partially carried by the carrier for guiding the latter to perfom back and forth movements between a retracted and a protruded position thereof, a bar-like support hingedly mounted on said carrier along a substantially horizontal aXis arranged transverse to the direction of back and forth movement of the carrier, said axis being between the instrument and the inner end of the carrier and said support being forwardly extended for crossing the switchbutton means on the instrument at its portion for cradling its liftable receiver, means for securing the receiver on said support at a point located outwardly from the instrument, and a telephonedisabling means for causing swing of the support downward on its hinge mounting thereby to cause the support to press down on said switch-button means to close the telephone line, said support being swingable to an upright position when the carrier is in protruded position, and there being means coacting with said hinge means for limiting upward swing of the support to said upright position, there further being yielding means for thus swinging upward the support when the carrier is in protruded position, the instrument being so placed on the carrier that when the latter is in protruded position the dialing mechanism oi' the instrument is located beyond the front of said furniture article top and facing toward a person seated at said furniture article, said means for securing the receiver to the support including a plurality of receiver engaging members, one of which is angularly adjustable on the support, and another of which is slidably adjustable on the support, and another of which is xed on the support.

10. A device for facilitating use of the telephone, comprising a slide-type carrier for the telephone instrument, means for mounting the instrument immovably on the carrier, a structure adapted to be secured to an article of furniture such as a desk, table or the like and at a location below the top of said furniture article, means partially carried by said structure and partially carried by the carrier for guiding the latter to perform back and forth movements between a retracted and a protruded position thereof, a barlike support hingedly mounted on said carrier along a substantially horizontal axis arranged transverse to the direction of back and forth movement of the carrier, said aXis being between the instrument and the inner end of the carrier and said support being forwardly extended for crossing the switch-button means on the instrument at its portion for cradling its liftable receiver, means for securing the receiver on said support at a point located outwardly from the instrument, and a telephone-disabling means .for causing swing of the support downward on its hinge mounting thereby to cause the support to press down on said switch-button means to close the telephone line, said support being swingable to an upright position when the carrier is in protruded position, and there being means coacting with said hinge means for limiting upward swing of the support to said upright position, there further being yielding means for thus swinging upward the support when the carrier is in protruded position, the instrument being so placed on the carrier that when the latter is in protruded position the dialing mechanism of the instrument is located beyond the front of said furniture article top and facing toward a person seated at said furniture article, said means for securing the receiver to the support including a plurality of receiver engaging members, one of which is angularly adjustable on the support, and another of which is slidably adjustable on the support, and another of which is fixed on the support, said xed member including a cup-like receptor for the receiver portion of the receiver.

FRANK G. HOLMES.

No references cited. 

